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J P 5882 

STATE OF ^DELAWARE, ^&Ty7^rS, 
Executive Depaetwsk^ 
;lf4a-lf6 Cf(U— ^>.^ Dover, February 7, 1865. 

lo the Senate and Bouse of Representatives of flit State of 
Delaware, in General Assembly met : 

The Congress of the United States, by the requisite 
majority of both Houses, has submitted the following 
Constitutional amendment to the Legislatures oi the 
several States for ratification : 

\rt XIII.— Sec. 1. Neither Slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex- 
ccpl as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly 
convicted, shall exisl within the United States or any place subject to 
their jurisdiction. . . 

Sk« : . 2. Congress shall have p >wor to enforce this article by appropri- 
ate legislation. 

Having received official information of the vote cast 
in Congress, I take the earliest opportunity to lay the 
amendment before the General Assembly. _ In doing so, 
I must express my hearty concurrence in its object, and 
recommend most earnestly its immediate ratification. 

A due regard to the claims of impartial justice; to 
the unity, welfare, and purity of our Government ; to 
the necessity of removing the cause of our present un- 
happy civil strife ; to a re-union of our country upon a 
sure basis; to a speedy return of permanent and honor- 
able peace ; and to the cause of enlightened progre^ 
commends this step to our warme st. sy mpathies. 
opportunity is offered to men of iiiygfeo unite, wiu 
devoted loyalty, upon ineasun that promise the most 
salutary results ; and each one can nowjshare in the 
honor of declaring that heiiceiolfl(P& forever the 
Republic shall be Free. 

Let us start upon a new career of liberty, happiness 
and prosperity; let us build up %r posterity a pure and 
free government; let us dignify the labor to which, id 
the Providence of God, each one of us is called : let us 
make the immortal Declaration a glorious and beneficent 
tact- and let us render thanks and praises to God. 
Whose service is perfect freedom, for the progress 
that we are making, under His guidance and in obedi- 
ence to His will, in consummating the highest and 
noblest purpose of human government— universal reli- 
gious, civil, and personal liberty. 

WILLIAM CANNON. 






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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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